Knitted fabric and method of making the same



Jan, 1, 1952 E s, BARSBY ET AL 2,580,506

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 2, 1949 2 SHEETS- SHEET 1 F G. 2 F/ G L) ,d FV/5!! g g VN/ y/ ,d @www f@ f 6./ @www Jan- 1, 1952 E. s. BARsBY ETAL 2,580,506

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 2, 1949 SHEETS- SHEET 2 F/G-4. F/G.5.

y 'qen Patented Jan. 1, 1952 KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Edward Samuel Barsby and Alfred Percy Saunders, Leicester, England, assignors to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,796 In Great Britain June 17, 1948 claims. (c1. `fas- 183) i- Thi's invention relates to knitted fabric, ,and fhas reference Iparticularly to machine produced `fashioned knitted fabric wherein the number of -'loops vary from course to course suchwise `as `to '-reduce or/and increase the number of wales and thereby, shape the fabric by narrowing or/and widening it. i I v The expression "knitted fabric is used herein 2in a generic` sense to include not only machine lproduced,fashioned fabric in the piece for subsequent making up into articles and garments, but also complete fully-fashioned articlesand `parts thereof. In this connection, for instance, fthel'nvention may be applied to hose blanks, and 'also 'include within its scope fully-fashioned ystockings and other articles `of hosiery. i Now heretofore when progressively reducin fthe number of knitted wales in fabric the selvedge loops at each narrowing or fashioningl 'have usually been transferred to and interknitted with loops in adjoining' wales. In practice, a rsuccession of `end loops has been transferred in -thisway ateach side of 4the fabric, and these transfers have resulted in the production of 'thickened stitches or fashion marks. The `object of transferring selvedge loops in this manner is, of course, to prevent running back, since otherwise each cast-off loop, being unsupported, would release the previously knitted loop and that, in turn, other loops of the same wale. For widening knitted fabric, several. methods have heretofore been available. For instance, there is -the meth-od of widening involving the employ- Ament of two yarn carriers whichv feed `in two yseparate yarns and are so controlled that one 'traverses beyond the other at each edge of the fabric being widened. In this case, however, the empty needle beyond the additional needle for 'needles introduced .to knit at each end of the series of needles during Va Widening operation zholds at least one ot the yarns to be knitted, thereby providing asupporting loop enabling the said' additional needle or needles successfully to -clear and knock over` the additional loop or loops :at the selvedge. But, as is well known to those acquainted with the art concerned, such conven- Ltional methods of making fashioned vfabric by Ynarrowing or/and Widening, involve unproduc- 4vtive movements and operations, in the machines upon which the fabric is knitted. `In certain lcases, as much as v%-of the productive time per article or garment is lost. One ofthe objects vof the present invention is to obviate the foregoing disadvantages of, and

enculees remained, .ia previous methfids of:

4making machine produced fashioned fabric by yan improved method resulting in the production of satisfactorily locked selvedges, without trans- 4and incorporating wale threads in knitted loops at opposite ends of the said courses suchwise that, as knitting proceeds, the said threads are interlooped with knitted loops in the corresponding end wales to form locked, i. e. run-resisting, selvedges.

Preferably, a single wale thread is caused to be lincorporated in a knitted loop or loops at each end of eachof the appropriate courses, although it is also within the scope of the invention to incorporate two or moreseparate wale threads in a corresponding number of adjoining individual knitted loops at each end of each of the said .'COlllSeS.

The wale threads may advantageously be "wrapped around appropriate needles by convenvtionally operated wraprthread feeders so that the :said threads, when wrapped, and knocked over,

without being knitted, become looped around and between the legs or sides of the knitted loops at theY selvedges. Thus, where latch needles `are employed, the Wale threads would be wrapped around the stems of the needles below the latches,

whereas in the case -of bearded needles, the said threads would be wrapped either around the beards, or below the beards in which latter injstance the beards would require to be pressed. As will be appreciated, if a single Wale thread is :wrapped around individual needles the thread -will belooped around and engage both legs or sides of the corresponding single selvedge needle vloops. -now well known as multi-needle wrapping, a .single wale thread is wrapped around, say, two

If, on the other hand. by the procedure adjoining end needles, lthen the thread WilLof course, be `looped around and vengage only Athe outer legsof sides of the corresponding pairs of `needle loops at the selvedge.` In either event, the Lor eachwale thread will also appropriate needle loops.

.1.xlcordingly-, when narrowing fabric` by the pass through the is concerned, the presence of wrapped loops ot Wale threads upon the initially empty endmost needles progressively introduced into the seriesof needles facilitates the clearing of theY rst needle lloops picked up. ln this way-theformation of` loose selvedges, during widening, is effec- Y tivelyv prevented.

In making the improved fashioned fabric, nar rowings o-r/and widenings may take place reguf larly and progressively either course by course, or at intervals of two or more courses.

The basic structure of the improved fashioned fabric may be knitted from a single ground yarn alone, or from such a ground yarn in conjunction with an auxiliary yarn such as a` splicing `or a plating yarn. Moreover, the fabric may consist either of a plain knitted web or ofv a web patterned or ornamented by stitch variation.

In order that the invention may be morev clearly understood and readily carried into practical effect, a speciiic example of the improved machine produced fashioned fabric and typical hose blanks incorporating such fabric will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

'Figure l is a portion of such fashioned fabric, drawn to an enlarged scale, showing one of' the ways oi producing a locked selvedge by locking the endrnost knitted loop only in every course,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing how a locked selvedge is produced by locking the two endmost knitted loops in every course.

Figure 3 is a detail view illustrating a modication of the fabric shown in Figure 2,

Figure 4 shows a at hose blank to which the invention may be applied, and

Figure 5 illustrates a hose blank produced on -acircular hose knitting machine.

Like parts are designated by similar reference characters throughout the drawings.

In Figure 1 is shown a shaped or fashioned machine produced knitted web comprising courses each composed of lalternate knitted loops I and intervening sinker loops 2 knitted in a coursewise reciprooatory manner. The alternate courses as successively knitted are indicated by the letters, a, b, c, d, e, f and g. At the course `a the `fabric is narrower than at the course b Vvedge a Wale thread 3 :is interlooped With vthe .said loops.

As will be seen, in the widened portion of the fabric, including the alternate courses .ad, the Wale thread 3 is wrapped around the legs 4 and 5 of the lendmostV knitted loop 'I in each of said alternate courses. The loops 6 constituted by the wrapped portions of the `Wale thread 3 appear on the inside lfaces, i. e. 'the back, of the fabric. fIn the narrowed portion oi .the fabric, that is to say the portion `including Y.the alternate courses e, f and g, the Wale thread 3 is wrapped round the legs 4 and 5 of the knitted loops I in every course, the cast-of! loops Ia in the courses e, f and y being locked by the runresisting loops 6. In making the fabric just described, the Wale thread 3` is not knitted by the needles-z Vthe wrap loops B. areV taken below the latches, in the case of latch needles being used, and, in the case of beardedY needles, the thread 3 is either wrapped on the beards, or wrapped below the beards in which latter event the beards are pressed, thereby causing the wrap loops 6 to appear.- on the, backV of the fabric and to engage the. legs 4 and 5 of all of the endmost knitted loops I. As a consequence, the wrap thread 3 extends from points at the back of the fabricv between the legs 4 and 5 of the knitted .10.095, I so that the cast-off loops a in the narrowed portion of the fabric are held by the. runresisting loops 6.

The fabric shown in Figure 2 is in all essential. respects. similar to that depicted in Figure l, the only difference being'that the wale, thread 3 is incorporated in the two cndmostf wales in .every course.. In this case, thev thread 3 is looped varound .and engages only theV outer legs 5 ofthe endmost knitted loops I and the inner; legs ,4 of the adjacent knitted loops. This strengthens the selvedge and tends'to Prevent its curling,

in the modification shown. in Figure 3,.tl.1e Wrap thread; :3 is. wrapped at the alternato courses o, o; c, d, e, f andy only,Y

The. improved fashioned fabric may be.. Droduced on a straight bar machine, in. which iu...- stanoe the conventional side transfer combs would be replaced by Wrap feeders; adapted for operation at the ends of1 the .series ofl needles suohwise as to supply Wale threads to and wrap them around appropriate yend needles.. Qn such amaohine. o fully-fashioned stocking blank .such .as that shown in Figure 4. can be expeditiously knitted. This blank 'is commenced at the welt 1 and ends yat vthe -toe I5. ,A Wrap threadid in:- corporated either throughout or .in appropriate portions of the two selvedgcs, The particular iiat hose blank illustrated comprises, in Vorder of knitting... the welt. 1, thiehnarrowioss 8.. a les 9., colf I0, ankle Il, widened heel portions I3., narrowed heel portions ls, instep I4, too: L5..

Alternatively, the fabric may be made on any suitable circular knitting 'machine .adapted .operate with rotary reciprocatory, as. Wella th circular, motion.: in this oase, wrap Vfeeders would be mounted and adapted :for operation. whln the range of the ends. of the arcuate s-.roilio o1.'- needles upon Which fabric knitted in aA .courses wise reciproca-tory manner .is produced. .Oria seamless hose machine it is. accordingly possible, by the adoption of ythe improved method. $9 :produce a. fully-fashioned :stock-ing blank commencing at the. Welt .and than producing, by reciorooatory knitting., o true. fully-fashioned .portion with a locked seivedge at each side thereof. It is also possible to vproduce a Vfully-rash.- ioned `Stocking blank such as thatv shown .inyFigure .5 commencing at the welt I5 .and knitting both this and the. upper leg portion I1 by .cir-

cular .knitting and then proceeding by knitting possible by safe narrowing as hereinbefore de Y scribed, Without 4loop transference, therefore en ables the hose blank to -jbe made with an antolmatic Welt. -Ieretofore, part circular,` part` reciprocatory knitted hose blanks have usually had to be commenced at the toe and progressively widened, and as a consequence they could not be made with an automatic welt.

'Ihe invention also includes, as features, fashioned fabric, articles, garments and parts thereof made in accordance with the improved method. In this connection one such feature comprises a knitted fabric having selvedges and wherein the needle loops in different courses vary in number, appropriate ones of the said loops at each selvedge being locked in and prevented from running back by means of at least one additional thread which is incorporated walewise and intermeshed with the knitted web.

The improved machine produced fashioned fabric may be made on any knitting machine having either a straight or an arcuate needle bar furnished with xed needles, or on any appropriate type of machine equipped with independently operable latch needles.

What we claim then is:

l. A selvedged knitted fabric comprisingr a web of knitted loops of which those in different courses vary in number so as to shape the fabric, and, at opposite ends of said courses, Wale threads which are wrapped around and, at the back of the fabric, extend between the sides of knitted loops in the end wales to form run-resisting selvedges.

2. A selvedged knitted fabric at least a portion of which is narrowed and has cast-off knitted loops at the ends of courses comprising progressively diminishing numbers of knitted loops, and wale threads, portions of which are wrapped around and, at the back of the fabric, extend between the sides of the said cast-olf knited loops so that the latter are prevented from running back.

3. A fully-fashioned stocking blank the sel- L Vedges of which, in contra-distinction to having therein transferred knitted loops, are locked and made run-resisting by the incorporation therein of Wale threads, the selvedges being locked by 6 Wale threads which are wrapped around and, at the back of the blank, extend between the sides of the knitted loops in the end wales.

4. A fully-fashioned stocking blank comprising a welt, a circular knitted upper leg portion, a following fully-fashioned portion produced by reciprocatory knitting, and the knitted loops of which vary in number in different courses, and threads which are incorporated walewise into the selvedges of the said fully-fashioned portion suchwise as to be wrapped around and, at the back of the fabric, extend between the sides of the knitted loops in the end wales to form runresisting selvedges.

5. A method of making knitted fabric which consists in knitting a web with at least one yarn. varying the number of knitted loops in different courses such wise as to shape the fabric, and incorporating wale threads in knitted loops at opposite ends of said courses suchwise that, as knitting proceeds, the said threads are Wrapped around and, at the back of the fabric, extend between the sides of the knitted loops in the end Wales to form run-resisting selvedges.

EDWARD SAMUEL BARSBY. ALFRED PERCY SAUNDERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 362,434 Esty May 3, 1887 1,886,521 Bristow et al Nov. 8, 1932 1,897,131 Lawson Feb. 14, 1933 1,949,439 Wilcomb Mar. 6, 1934 2,037,000 Carlson Apr. 14, 1936 2,296,590 Badders et al Sept. 22, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 717,807 France Oct. 26, 1931 

